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Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Review: New Revlon Crazy Shine Nail Buffer

With all the new nail implements hitting our drugstores lately from brands like Revlon, Sally Hansen and CoverGirl, I thought it would be fun to review the one that I've been the most intrigued by (especially after seeing Aquaheart's review here, back in January).

I patiently waited for a good sale and picked this up for a great price a few weeks ago, and now I'd like to give you my thoughts:

Revlon Crazy Shine Nail Buffer

(retail: around $3.50)

As you can see from the packaging, this buffer promises 400% more shine than bare nails, and the shine is supposed to last three days.

I like the shape of the buffer because it gives you a lot of surface area to work with when compared to traditional nail buffers. The only complaint I have is that the tip of the buffer, which is the best part to use to really get into the nooks and crannies of your nails, might be the part to wear out first. I really like the pointed tip, and when I'm using this buffer I favor that tip over the rest of the buffer. So I imagine that, over time, the tip will wear out and I won't be able to use that part of the buffer much. But hey, at least I'll still have the rest of the buffer to use (and there's a LOT to use).

The nontraditional shape of this buffer fits easily in my hand and it's very convenient to work with. Also, the sponge material inside the buffer is very firm, so I don't forsee it bending and giving out after a few uses. All in all, it feels like a quality nail buffer in your hand, and that's more than I can say for the dozens of other cheapie buffers I've had over the years that seem to disintegrate after just a few uses.

As instructed, I used the green side first, which contains a fine-grade sandpaper surface. My nails have lots of ridges, so I require a bit of a grittier sandpaper to do the job. This one is VERY gentle, so I required lots of buffing to even out the ridges, although it wasn't excessive by any means. I'd say it was on par with other buffers I've used in the past.

Next, I used the white side of the buffer to polish my nails, and THIS is where the Crazy Shine buffer really shines (pardon the pun).

Of all the buffers I've used in the past (both cheapie and higher end), this buffer is BY FAR the most effortless to use, and the results are pretty much instantaneous. I went into this thinking it would be like any other buffer, but boy was I wrong. I literally ran this buffer across my nails three times and the shine was INSTANT. It literally looked like I had just applied a high-shine top coat to my nails.

As much as it pains me to show you my bare nails, I just have to show you a before-and-after:

PLEASE forgive these pictures. In the "before" shot my nails look absolutely horrible. I did a lot of work outside before I took these pics, so my skin is dry and my nails are really beaten up (and I broke my middle fingernail which really bums me out). I have some slight yellowing due to always wearing nail polish, and I didn't want to apply any lotions or creams to my nails before using the Crazy Shine buffer because I wanted my nails to be as dry and oil-free as possible. Also, due to the lighting in these pics, my nails look dirty. I assure you they're not, but it bothers me that they look that way (oh the embarrassing things I do for this blog!).

ANYWAY, as you can see in the "after" shot, it literally looks like I'm wearing a shiny top coat. I am not. This picture was taken just moments after using the Revlon Crazy Shine Nail Buffer and nothing else. And I am pleased to report that I'm now on day three after using this buffer and my nails are still incredibly shine.

FINAL VERDICT: The Revlon Crazy Shine Nail Buffer absolutely lives up to its claim to "create top coat shine in seconds that lasts three days". I have no way of measuring if my nails are truly 400% shiner than before, but they are REALLY shiny, and it took no effort whatsoever to get there. The green side of the buffer is gentle, which means you may require some extra elbow-grease if your nails have lots of ridges, but the star of this show is the buffer. If you're looking for crazy shine that lasts at least three days, I think you'll be very happy with this product. DEFINITELY worth $3.50 and if you can get it on sale (or have coupons) I say don't hesitate to pick one up. This is a quality product that, in my opinion, is worth double the price.

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COMMENTS:

ooh that looks good :) i tried the elf one recently, and the sponge isnt dense, and unfortunately bends. and it feels like the sides are going to peel off. i like using the edges too, i wish they had more tips too. so im definitely going to pick this up next time there's a sale. thanks!

I wish I could use buffers! At least to buff the yellow staining off my nails from constantly wearing nail polish (I think my nails have been naked maybe a total of 10 days in the past 2 or 3 years. If that). But nails have a tendency to peel and they already aren't super thick so buffing just makes them to weak. I really like the shiny look though!

I don't know if you saw my tweets last night since they weren't @ you, but I actually buffed for the first time EVER last night. I feel like my eyes have been opened for the very first time... and I was using a buffer I got for .99! This I may have to try.

I still have a few questions on buffing, but I'll figure it out. Doing irreparable harm with a buffer is probably difficult, so I figure "trial and error" is the way to go.

Question - so, the one I got has 4 sides. I didn't really use the first, because it was just a nail file, I think, and I have an amazing crystal file I LOVE. So, the other sides are smooth, buff, and shine. I'm guessing this one just abridged those 3 steps into 2...? Sorry for the dumb question, just trying to understand!

Ohmygosh I DID think you were wearing clear polish on the After pictures! I can't believe a buffer can do that! Like really. I gotta try this for myself. I'm so excited!

Chica please don't apologize for the way your bare nails look! I rarely see bare nails that are perfect. And if they are perfect it's usually because that person does not do hard work with their hands. Once that hard work starts it's awfully difficult to keep bare nails bootiful, and it's harder to keep them clean too!

I think you're very brave for showing us your bare nails! Don't be embarrassed to show us you can take care of business and risk nail breakage for it! :)

I bought this and really love it but it just doesn't hold up as well over time as my cheaper ones! I paid full price for it which was only three bucks but with the constant Revlon sales I'll re-buy on sale!

I've had my eye on this since I first spotted it at Wlagreens a few weeks ago. After your review I had to run out and grab one, I ripped it open when I got back to my car (my nails happen to be bare!) and I love it. It really does make my nails crazy shiny! thanks for the review, G!

My problem with nail buffers is always that it seems like they make my nails more brittle (because they thin the nails out to make them smoother). Have you found that to be a problem for you? Maybe I should just give up on keeping my nails so long... :X

Bought the 4 sided trim one a few days ago. It took me 30 minutes to get half-a** results. Bought the Revlon one today after reading your review and it took 3 minutes to get perfect results. AMAZING!!!

Well, I did it! Based solely on your review (generally I walk right past that stuff for some reason?) I grabbed one up at Ulta today and will use it as soon as I remove this old, chippy nail polish. :) I can already tell it has a better quality feel to it than my cheapie $1 buffer.

I read this review and Rite Aid has a 40% of all Revlon products, so I have to grab one. And I am in love!!! I agree with you 10000% The buffer part is so amazing! I am very happy with my purchase. Thanks for this review. Normally I wouldn't purchase nail care products from Revlon but I stalk your blog everyday and after reading your review, I have to get one.

Just picked this up! Can't wait to try it out. I've been looking for something like this. The last time I had a nail buffer I got sucked into buying a nail kit from one of those mall kiosks. The buffer worked pretty good but it has been a few years since I've had another buffer. Thanks for the review!

I love your before and after picture. It really shows how well this Revlon nail buffer works :) I rarely use nail buffers but I was just googling images for this and that's how I came across your blog site. Great review!